Year help: Does anyone know of any way to clean up your credit? - Help.com

i have had so much trouble with credit one of the main reasons why ive never had a good head start in life. i believe im a victim of identity theft because there was a mortgage taken out in my name in 02 that i never took out. i sent a letter to dispute this to transunion but no reply yet. you should get a credit card and but a few things that you can afford than pay it off right away. do it over and over again. sorry not much help i know but i tried

Get a secured credit card - meaning you pay $100 for a $300 to $500 limit card. (Capital One is a good one)Put a bill like your power or phone on it monthly, and pay the exact amount off monthly. Pay every bill on or before time. In 6 months time, request a credit limit increase, and finance something that you can afford. Even if it’s a lamp and you get hosed on interest. Then pay it off pronto. It’s a slow process, but within 6 months your score will be higher, and in a year, higher still. There will always be a bruise hidden in the past on your score, but you can overcome it by becoming a model citizen.

Have you gone through a mortgage broker or a bank? We had a blotch on our credit (rather a black eye…) and a mortgage broker really helped us out. THey shopped around, and made sure we got payments we can handle.

There is a company called Lexington Law office, if you think that something is on your credit and shouldn’t be there, they will help, but it does cost money. You can also get high interest credit cards like Capital One, First Premier Bank, Providian and ones like that, they usually extend a 200 limit and you can repay, do this for about 1-2 years and your credit will come slowly back up. Some banks only look at what is open and current, if it is 3 years or older they look at it, but some give people the benifit of the doubt.

Also if you are looking for a person loan, Citifinancial, American General and Bennificial usually help people with less than perfect credit. Google it, they will help if you tell them your whole story!

Tracy

get a copy of your credit report. and start paying stuff off bit by bit every month.

i tried to get a credit report but it wont work no matter what i do. and i know what your thinking but your wrong i have really really done everything you could do besides getting a lawyer to help me. someone took a mortgage out in my name in 2002 none of the credit places will give me a score because my father and grandfather have the exact same name as i do and i move to much. i sent them all previouse addresses copies of id’s letters from credit card denials s.s. number bank statements. everything they asked for but they wont give me one because they say they dont have enough info to identify me which is bullshit. im having a baby in nov. and the govenment doesnt know who i am. i dont know what to do and its really starting to hurt me inside. will i ever have a life? something inside tells me that things will never work out and most likely im screwed. sounds stupid but know one will ever understand cause i never talked to anyone who has had the same problem.

DoubleO,
I’m in South Carolina…near Columbia. What you are saying about being “stuck” sounds so familiar to me. The truth is, the credit bureaus want you to believe that you are stuck. Even though you have cleaned up your recent history, it’s to their advantage that those derogatories STAY on your credit report, because that keeps the banks and lenders getting HIGHER interest rates!

The truth is, even though something is “legally” on your report does not mean it “legally” HAS to stay there! Under recent laws, no credit repair company–including the likes of Lexington Law can promise to remove any single item from your credit report. HOWEVER, that does not mean it cannot happen or that they cannot get it off. I will say, (and I’m not here to bash) that I’ve heard good and bad about that particular company. The bad mostly relates to the speed with which things get done, and being strung along on monthly fees. After all, how much work do you really expect someone to do for under $50 bucks a month–when they’re ATTORNEYS!

There are ways YOU can do this work yourself for under $100 bucks. Or you can spend $1500 and let a professional, reputable company (there are some) handle it.
The credit repair companies WANT you to try it yourself, because they’re betting they can beat you at their game and that you won’t know the loopholes that often forces them to remove legitimate line items. But if you are a real DO-IT-YOURSELFER AND you have some TIME, you CAN learn how to remove derogatory items off your report BEFORE the 7 years is up… often in as little as 45 days… usually more like 6 months…even bankruptcies and charge-offs.

A lot in this this business boils down to who you trust and who will really help you. There are those who espouse the theory (and it is true) and are happy to take your money, but they just don’t deliver. Which makes the whole idea of repairing credit seem like a sham. It’s not.

Also, if you don’t learn how to do it properly, you can also HURT your credit score. I’m just being honest with you.

For that matter, why should you believe me?

I own a business that specializes in getting people out of the “rent rut” and into their own home. Therefore, I have a vested interest in helping my people with their credit. Since I owner-finance to them, I want them eventually to get their own loan. So I help them get their credit “rehabbed” by sending them to one of several sources that can do that. (Depending on their particular needs.)

It sounds like you have done some good things offensively to develop good credit. Now go after those defensive measures to get rid of the past that is holding you back. I’m not a member here… I just by chance typed in help.com to see what was there. I saw your question and just had to chime in because I KNOW there is a way!

Chuck in South Carolina

Okay, now I AM a member!
Looks like an interesting place.
Neat concept. Helping people…

How to Improve Your Credit Rating
http://www.askaquery.com/question/How…